F#m Piano Chord

F sharp minor is the F#m piano chord. It has three notes: F sharp, A and C sharp. The outer two are black keys and the middle one is white.

1F♯3A5C♯C4C5

F♯ at the bottom, then A and C♯. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are F♯ and C♯.

How to play F#m on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the F♯ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): F♯
  3. Middle finger (3): A
  4. Little finger (5): C♯
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just F♯ on its own as a bass note.

Black, white, black is one of the most comfortable shapes on the keyboard. The thumb and little finger sit deep on the black keys and the middle finger drops onto the white key between them.

Inversions of F#m

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are F#m; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionA C♯ F♯
F#m piano chord diagram, first inversion, A C♯ F♯
Lighter than root position and less final. A flat third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionC♯ F♯ A
F#m piano chord diagram, second inversion, C♯ F♯ A
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The thumb slips off its key
A thumb on a black key needs the hand further into the keyboard than usual. Move the whole arm forward rather than reaching.
The middle note is wrong
It is A, a white key. If the chord sounds bright you are probably on A sharp, which would give F sharp major.
The chord sounds uneven
The two black keys are narrower than the white one between them. Aim each fingertip at the centre of its key.

What makes it an F#m

F♯ · A · C♯ 1 ♭3 5

F sharp minor is the first, flat third and fifth of the F sharp scale: F sharp, A and C sharp. The three half steps from F sharp up to A make the minor third.

It is the relative minor of A major, the vi chord of A and the ii of E. Both are guitar keys, which is why this chord turns up far more often than its three sharps would suggest.

F#m vs F#

The middle note. F sharp minor uses A, a white key; F sharp major uses A sharp, the black key above it, which makes that chord all black.

F sharp minor is the more common of the two in songs, being the relative minor of A. It is also the slightly less comfortable shape, since one finger has to come forward onto a white key.

Questions about F#m

Which notes are in an F#m chord on piano?

F sharp, A and C sharp. F sharp and C sharp are black keys; A is white.

What fingers do you use for F#m?

Right hand: thumb on F sharp, middle finger on A, little finger on C sharp. Left hand: little finger on F sharp, middle on A, thumb on C sharp.

Is F#m the same as Gbm?

The same keys and the same sound, but almost nobody writes G flat minor. F sharp minor is the spelling in use.

Is F#m hard on piano?

No. Black, white, black gives the hand a natural position, and many players find it easier than an all white chord.

Where is the F#m chord used?

As the vi chord in A, the ii in E and the iii in D. It is very common in guitar based pop and rock.

Chords to learn next

Other F# chords